The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Dr. Moses Paul, has called on his supporters to immediately proceed to the collation centre in Karu and occupy it to preserve what he described as votes that are giving him victory. He has vowed to resist any outcome that is unfavourable in this interview with THE WHISTLER‘s Isuma Mark.
How do you assess the overall conduct of the election?
Advertisement
Voter apathy is really high compared to what it should be. AMAC is home to 1.2 million registered voters. There are about 1.2 million registered voters.
In my polling unit, we were fewer than 10 people. Even though I won my polling unit, the voter apathy is not encouraging.
Of course, there are areas like Lugbe, Trademore, and other places where there was high voter turnout. But overall, it is still very low compared to the number of registered voters.
The election was relatively peaceful, even though some of my agents were beaten. In places like Orozo, my people were disenfranchised and not allowed to vote in some villages.
The same thing happened in places like Kabusa. I was on the ground after I finished voting, just to see things for myself, so it is not hearsay. While I think we are evolving as a people – because we carried out a very robust campaign and people all over the world practically knew about the election, which is good – participation is personally worrisome for an election like AMAC.
Who were those you said beat up your supporters?
The ruling party, straight up. The ruling party was intimidating our people, and there was widespread vote buying across different wards. We have some of it on video, and of course we will be releasing that.
All of that criminality contributed to making the election process less credible than it should be.
In the most important local council in Nigeria, you would have expected a higher voter turnout.
But again, when a chieftain of the APC spoke a few days ago during a live broadcast, saying those who vote for my party would be made to pay for it – that their houses would be demolished and they would be spotlighted — and then you wake up the day before the election to a curfew in the city, those things do not help.
Relatively, AMAC has had peaceful elections over the past many years. I have been here for about 40 years, so I know what I am talking about.
You talk about vote buying. there are reports that one of your party agents was apprehended with a large sum of money. could you provide clarification?
This is very reprehensible. Can you give me the name, the place, and the time? Because I have no knowledge of that.
Given the information available, what is your level of confidence in your chances of winning?
Of course, I won my polling unit, and most of the results coming out from the estates and many other places clearly show that ADC is leading — with a good margin.
That being said, you can see that we already have an early lead. I am very optimistic that I will be the next chair of the AMAC local council.
Has the election process met the standard of being free and transparent?
I would say there is some sense of improvement. But when you have people blatantly buying votes — because when poverty is weaponised, what do you say? — there is a systemic methodology to ensure that we do not progress as a people.
While I would attest that in some areas, with the BVAS and the conduct of some polling officers and supervisory officers, we are moving forward, you still have cases of touts holding sway in some places, which is very reprehensible.
Have any of today’s developments caused you concern or disappointment?
Very much so. My agents were beaten, particularly in the Durumi axis, where I had to personally engage the DSS. About four or five of my agents were held down. It was pure intimidation.
The APC are buying votes in broad daylight and are not being apprehended. It is grievous and something to be worried about.
Reflecting On Your Campaign, Are There Any Strategies Or Decisions You Think You Could Have Done Better?
The last six months have been a grounding experience for me. I have been to the villages, markets, streets, stalls, religious centres, and engaged youth groups and different ethnic nationalities resident here in Abuja, particularly in AMAC. We went door-to-door and reached out to everyone.
We ensured that national leaders participated – perhaps for the first time in the history of local council elections in Africa. You had the likes of Mr. Peter Obi campaigning with me on the streets. You had Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, H.E. Rotimi Amaechi, and senators like Kingibe and Abaribe, along with other stakeholders who normally do not engage in local elections.
For the first time, people all over the world knew about the AMAC elections. I received calls from different places. While I believe there are things I could still improve on, I think I exhausted myself in this campaign. For that, I am grateful.
Should the result go otherwise, what would you do?
It would mean the people’s will has been trampled upon. It will be resisted. I will not accept it because that would not be the will of the people. I would not tell them to stay calm.
I would ask them to ensure that all collation centres are occupied right now.
We should stay vigilant and alert and ensure proper escort of the results from the polling units and all places where violations were made. Results where there was overvoting or blatant violations of rules and regulations should be cancelled. We cannot allow criminality.
The only way to have credible leadership is to ensure that the process leading to leadership is credible.
What message do you have for your supporters?
To my people listening: do not give in and do not give up. We are moving to the collation centres, and finally, we are all going to Karu. We must ensure that the will of the people is upheld.
Stay on the ground. Do not relent. Hold your ground, because that is the only way we can build a country where future generations will not remember a time when vote buying was rampant, when children could not go to school, when children sat on the floor in AMAC classrooms, and when unqualified individuals led our local council.
All of this should be in the past. But it will not happen without a fight. This is a fight I entrust to the people — the suffering masses, those who are hungry — to stand up and reject everything that stands against nation-building.